Alex Albon announced his withdrawal from Sao Paulo, Franco Colapinto in doubt
Franco Colapinto's and Alex Albon's cars were damaged during qualifying. The damage is such that Williams could not take part in the race. Alex Albon announced his withdrawal from the event.
It was to be expected. The Sao Paulo Grand Prix may not have 20 cars on the starting grid. After chaotic qualifying with five red flags, many cars went off the track and hit the wall violently. This is notably the case with the Williams.
Franco Colapinto got caught in the Senna ‘S’ and smashed his single-seater into the tyre wall. In Q3, it was Alex Albon who got caught. The Thai driver locked up his rear wheels at the first corner. He briefly suspected a mechanical failure.
The two cars in the wall
Regardless of the reason for its exit from the track, car #23 was completely destroyed upon colliding with the tire wall. With two heavily damaged single-seaters and little time to repair them, Williams’ fate for this Brazilian Grand Prix seemed inevitable.
In a short post on Twitter, the team announced that the damages were being assessed. It is likely that neither of the two drivers will be able to start the race. There should therefore be a maximum of 18 cars on the grid.
20, 18 drivers or fewer drivers on the grid?
Following the separate incidents of Alex and Franco during the wet qualifying session here in São Paulo, both cars sustained significant damage, which is currently being assessed. We have an incredible team working tirelessly behind us, with the aim of repairing both cars so they can compete in the Grand Prix. We will keep you informed of the situation’s progression, explains Williams.
Despite this message, Alexander Albon stated that it will be impossible for him to be able to race at 4:30 p.m. “I am forfeiting, that’s for sure,” the driver confessed to Viaplay.
But with the other incidents, there is no guarantee that the other teams will be able to field two cars. One thinks in particular of Aston Martin, where both drivers were caught out by the tricky conditions of the Interlagos track.
Following Alex and Franco’s separate incidents during the wet Qualifying session here in São Paulo, both cars have extensive damage, which is being assessed. We have an incredible team behind us working tirelessly, with the aim of getting both cars repaired to race in the Grand… pic.twitter.com/Skwnm1aeWq
— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) November 3, 2024
